Solo Tone

Year of the Cat (2020 Remaster)

Al Stewart

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson ES-335 (likely, based on era/session player Tim Renwick's known gear and typical studio choices for this sound)

AmpFender Twin Reverb (likely, based on 1970s studio standards and clean headroom with mild breakup for solos)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (PAF-style, stock on ES-335 of the era)

Amp Settings

gain4

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb4.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1976 (original session, remastered in 2020). No direct evidence for exact guitar/amp, but Tim Renwick is credited for the solo and was known for using ES-335 and Fender amps in this era. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this solo.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustainsmooth and roundedslightly overdrivenwarm midrangearticulate note definitiontouch-sensitive dynamicsmild breakupclear and present highsclassic 1970s studio leadnot heavily compressed

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate lead technique, with expressive bends, vibrato, and dynamic phrasing, but does not involve advanced speed or complex technical passages.

Sources

Al Stewart's “Year of the Cat” is a Musical and Lyrical Masterpiece Albums Starting with A | Equipboard What's that one album that every time you put it on your system you ...

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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